The Pageant
by atideintheaffairs
Summary: Nathan is a single father just trying to do his best for his daughter, Haley is her teacher, how will a school pageant bringthe pair together?


Nathan Scott walked into the school while loosening his tie and rolling up his sleeves, he had left his suit jacket in the car. He was late, a half hour late. He turned the corner and saw her smiling face.

"Daddy!" The little girl saw him and launched herself into his arms.

"Hi Gaby"

"I thought you forgot about me."

"I could never forget about you Gabs" He kissed her forehead before putting her down and looking up at the woman in front of him.

"I'm sorry about this, my meeting ran late and then I hit traffic."

"Its okay Mr. Scott, she wasn't a bother." Gabriella's teacher said.

"Daddy look." Gabriella pulled a paper out of her bookbag.

"What's this?"

"I had Jenny read it to me. Its says that there is going to be a Christmas pag...pageant and the school is makin' it and the kids can be in it. I wanna do it Daddy can I pleaseeeee" She said giving her best pout.

"Sure baby girl."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She said dancing around the room.

"You know Mr. Scott, I am running it and we could use some strong muscular men to put together the sets." Her teacher said.

"Yeah Daddy we can do this tog'ther!" Gabriella said getting excited once more.

"Well I guess I have to now that two pretty ladies asked me to." Nathan said with a smirk.

"This is going to be just wond'rful!" Gabriella said hoping in her fathers arms again.

"Okay, we should get going Gabs."

"Fine" She sighed grabbing her bookbag and leading Nathan out of the room "Bye Ms. James"

"Bye Gabriella I will see you Monday."

"Thank you" Nathan called out flashing her a smile.

* * *

"Oh Daddy" Gabriella said running into Nathan's room as he got ready. "Ms. James said for you to bring your tools when you come."

"Gabs, we have to be there in a half hour and your telling me this now. Next time tell me the day she tells you okay?"

"Okay, can we go now?"

"Well I have to go pack up my tools but after that." He said leading the girl out of the room.

* * *

"Thanks for helping Mr. Scott, as you can see none of the other parents can really help with the props." Ms. James said as they worked on the sets. It was just the two of them and Gabriella, she was coloring nearby, who stuck around after practice to work on props and sets.

"Its' Nathan, and I really don't mind."

"So what do you do for a living?" he asked.

"I'm the gym teacher, and the basketball coach up at Tree Hill High."

"Oh I went there."

"Me too, I graduated in 2003."

"2007, we just missed each other." She shrugged as he nodded.

"Gabriella, put that down." Nathan said looking over at her, noticing she was now holding his hammer.

"But I use it at home." She stated.

"When?" He questioned knitting his eyebrows together, knowing he never let her run around with a hammer.

"When we hung up my princess poster." She explained as he remembered letting her help.

"You can only use the hammer when daddy's around and says you can okay. If not it's too dangerous and you can get hurt." He explained as she nodded.

"Okay."

"Now why don't you read the books I brought you, there in my bag over there." He suggested before Gabriella ran off.

"Good catch." Haley laughed not even noticing the little girl with the hammer.

"Yeah, I'm always worried and watching. It never goes away. I just want to be good enough for her, because I'm all she has."

Haley was about to speak but was stopped when Gabriella ran back over. "Daddy!"

"What's up Gabs?" He asked placing down his paint brush and turning to her.

"We don't have a chimney!" She shouted.

He bit his lip, confused, and said "You're right, we don't."

"Santa isn't going to come then because we don't have a chimney!" Nathan noticed the easy reader book about Christmas he brought on the floor.

"Yes he will." He said pushing her hair out of her face "Santa has a special key that he uses for houses without chimneys."

"Oh okay" She smiled before running back to her coloring book.

"She's such a goof." He said shaking his head.

"You're so good with her."

"Thanks" He whispered.

"Listen would you want to grab coffee someday, just the two of us."

"I would love to." He said with a smile. "Gabby spends Sunday afternoons with my aunt, if you're free then?"

"Sounds perfect." Haley smiled back at him.

* * *

"So then, to fix her dolls hair after she spilt milk on it, she though it was a good idea to cut her hair. Don't ask how she got the scissors because I have no clue. She's crafty." Nathan said as Haley laughed "After that incident I moved the scissors, but that doll..." He laughed pulling out his phone. "But she thinks Daphy is beautiful with her new hairdo." He showed Haley the photo of Gabriella smiling with her doll.

"Daphy?"

"After Daphy Duck." Nathan said as they both laughed.

"Oh she is perfect." They had spent most of the time talking about Gabriella, but Nathan couldn't help it, she was his pride and joy.

"I know. She's good too. I got very luck, Gabs is so kind hearted and never really gets into trouble."

"You raised her well." Haley said reaching across to touch his hand. "Sometimes you just need to hear that, you're a good dad Nathan."

"She's not mine." He whispered.

"Wh..what?"

"Gabriella, she isn't my daughter...she is my niece. My twin brother and his wife died three years ago...I was her legal guardian in their will." He said biting his lip.

"Oh Nathan." She said as her eyes went wide.

"The first few weeks she missed them I could tell...and then she started to forget about them. I mean I show her videos and photos so she doesn't forget them. She knows she has a mother and a father in heaven and a daddy on earth so she has three parents who love her so much."

"That must have been so hard on you."

"We were juniors in college when it happened, we all went to Duke, Lucas and I played on the same team, him had gotten married two years prior to the accident, our mom was watching Gabby for the night. We were supposed to meet up to celebrate after the game...but that never happened they were hit on the way their. When I found out I would get custody of Gaby I dropped out of school to put all my time into her. She wouldn't have two parents so I at least could give her a full time father. She deserved it. I owed it to them to raise her right. I put aside my NBA career dreams to coach basketball and gym at Tree Hill High. But I can't take a step in that gym without thinking of them."

"Nathan I can't even imagine what you have been through."

"I have been going to night classes twice a week. My mom watches her so I am slowly getting my degree so I can be a sports agent in the end. That's actually all I can afford."

"Don't you get any financial aid or anything?"

"We get some of their life insurance money every month but I try to put almost all of it in the bank so she can have it at a letter date. I mean I have money to pay for two courses a semester, food, a house, and all the stuff she needs. Were not living large but money isn't extremely tight either."

"Well if you ever need any help, I could watch her. No charge"

"Thanks Haley."

"It's really the least I could do. I couldn't imagine loosing a sibling, let alone a twin."

"It was really hard, I mean I had to speak at their funeral and I didn't know what to say. He was my brother...my best friend. I mean we did everything together growing up. And Brooke...she was the sweetest person ever. I loved her so much, she was like a little sister. They were both always there for me. We were called the three musketeers as kids because we did everything together.

"I still don't know what to do without them. I felt so empty and lost when they died...I mean I still pick up my phone some days to see if Luke wants to go to the rivercourt, to see if Brooke and Luke are too busy too meet up for coffee...or even to talk to them when I have a bad day. Some days I call and leave messages, just to vent or sometimes to hear their voice...we still pay there phone bill in order to have it...and I have all these home videos but most days I can barely bring myself to watch them.

"What I wouldn't give to have one last game of ball with my brother at the rivercourt, with Brooke cheering on the sidelines. Gaby...she looks so much like Broooke, some days I look at her and that is all I see. And she is smart and likes basketball like Luke, she has Brooke's bubbly personality...She is so much like them. Just in the things she says and does, she's there replica and I wish they were here to see it."

Haley squeezed his hand tighter as she gave him a sympathetic smile. "Well I know I could never replace them, and we aren't as close as you were to them but if you ever need to talk you can call me."

"Thanks Haley...One of the toughest days had to be when she called me Daddy, it hurt so bad just to think that it should be Lucas...it should have been him and not me...I wish it had been me. I wish I was the one who died that night so they could have been their for Gabriella...they could have grieved together. I feel so alone some days without them."

"Listen, Gabriella is so lucky to have you. You treat her like she is your own and you are giving her an amazing life." Haley said. "Everyday when I say for them to grab there book bags because it's time to go home, her smile is bigger than ever, because she knows she is going to see you."

"Thank you...it's hard but she deserves it. She is going to grow up and find out that her parents are dead. I have to remember that it's harder for her and I have to be good enough for her."

"Well I think you are doing a damn good job." Haley smiled running her other hand on his cheek.

"Thanks...I think I spoil her sometimes though I just never want to tell her no because I know she is missing so much having me as her father."

"Listen I didn't know them but I know that every time I see that girl she is saying how amazing her daddy is and how much she loves him. sS

Nathan was about to speak but was interrupted by his phone. "Sorry I have to get that."

"No it's fine, I get it."

"Hey Karen, what's up...oh yeah, it's in my car. I'm right down the street I'll be there in ten minutes. Thanks." He said hanging up. "Karen wants to take the girls to the park and Gabby needs her coat."

Haley nodded.

"Listen...I don't think it's best for Gabby to see us together outside of school. It might confuse her and..." Nathan said quickly, not wanting to offend Haley but Gabriella was always his first priority.

"I get it." Haley quickly interrupted. "You don't need to explain it. I actually needed to get going. I have lesson plans to do, but I'll see you on Monday morning when you drop her off."

"I'll be there on Wednesday to build more sets too...and would you want to do this again next week?" He asked.

"Of course." Haley smiled. "I'll see you Monday." She said getting up.

"Bye Hales."

Haley turned around and left the coffee shop with a smile on her face. Nathan Scott was amazing.

* * *

Two weeks went by and the pair had gone on two more coffee dates. It was Sunday morning at the Scott house as Nathan walked around getting ready. "Gabs, you ready baby?" Nathan asked fixing his tie as he walked into her room.

"Daddy I need you to do my hair." She said taking a seat on her bed in her dress.

"Okay" He said taking a seat behind her "Pigtails or a pony tail."

"No, I want a braid." She said turning to face him.

"I don't know how to do that honey." He said gently.

"But that's what I want." She said pouting.

"I can't Gabriella, now choose a pigtail or a ponytail because we need to leave."

"No, I want a braid!" She yelled.

"Don't raise your voice at me." He said strongly, pointing at her. "Ever. Now you're going to sit here until you decided if you want pigtails or a ponytail." Nathan moved to get up and shut her door behind him. He listened to only hear her start crying. Biting his lip he moved to punch the wall. He couldn't even do her hair. Something as simple as a braid and he couldn't. She deserved a mother. She deserved Brooke.

But that would never happen. He could. He could give her a braid.

Ten failed youtube tutorials and a phone call later, there was a knock at the door. "Hey" Haley said as he opened the door.

"Thank you so much for coming, I know you'd probably be doing much better things on your day off."

"Nathan, it's fine." Haley nodded.

"It's just...There's all these things I can't give her but...then I thought of you." He smiled.

"Good. Now where is she?"

Nathan led Haley through the house before slowly opening Gabriella's door. "Gabby" Nathan whispered going to sit next to where she lay on the bed, running his hand along her back.

"Daddy" She said quietly. He lifted her to sit in his lap.

"Hi baby."

"I just want a braid like the other girls." She said into his chest as his heart broke and his eyes locked with Haley.

"I know. Guess what, Ms. James is here to braid your hair."

"Really?!" She asked looking around.

"Yeah, say thank you to her for coming."

"Thank you! Thank you!" Gabby said running to stand in front of her. Nathan walked them out to the living room and handed Haley the brush and hairties he had.

Haley smiled as she sat down with Gabby on the couch and began to do the young girls hair. "No problem." Nathan sat back and watched as Haley chatted with the young girl.

"Wow, Gabs you look beautiful." Nathan said as Haley finished.

"I want to look in the mirror!" She said joyfully running into the bathroom as Nathan just smiled at Haley.

"Thank you so much."

"Nathan, It's really not that big of a deal."

"Yes it is" He smiled bigger standing up and moving over to where she sat. He quickly leaned over and kissed her, long and slow.

"Nathan." Haley whispered.

"Go on a date with me, a real date. Not a coffee date squeezed in on a Sunday afternoon, but one at a nice restaurant on a Friday night." He asked.

Haley only nodded quickly before kissing him once more.


End file.
